EghtesadOnline: Avian influenza has spread across the country and at present 24 provinces are affected by the disease, according to the head of the board of directors at Tehran’s Union of Producers of Egg-Laying Chicken.

“Until now, some 12 million chicken have been culled, according to figures released by Iran Veterinary Organization,” Nasser Nabipour was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.

H5N8, a dangerous strain of the bird or avian flu virus, was first detected in seven provinces late November.

Different strains of bird flu have been spreading across Europe and Asia since late last year, leading to the large-scale slaughter of poultry in some countries, Financial Tribune reported.

France, which has the largest poultry flock in the European Union, has also reported outbreaks of the H5N8 virus.